The St. Louis Blues have beef with just about every team in the Central Division of the Western Conference in the NHL. That comes with the culture of this franchise, and the brutality that this team has instilled in the hearts and minds of all their division rivals over the last 58 years.
But, there is a brand new, re-branded team that has entered the fray of this powerful division, and they are making a name for themselves in their first full season with their full kit. The Utah Mammoth are becoming the Blues' newest and most hated rival, and they are winning the battle.
Solid team
This Utah team is not the same as the Arizona Coyotes from a few years ago. Honestly, they aren't even the same team as last season when they were the Utah Hockey Club. They're reckless, quick, young, and filled with passion. What a team.
Their branding is spot on, as the Woolly Mammoth is considered to be one of the deadliest animals prior to the Ice Age. This Mammoth hockey team has some apex predators on their roster, like Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, who both just lit the Blues up in their 4-2 loss to Utah.
Bad blood is brewing
When Alexey Toropchenko "accidentally" went knee-to-knee with Logan Cooley earlier this season, that sparked something between these two teams. That was evident in the opening seconds of this most recent matchup, in which Toropchenko went toe-to-toe with some fisticuffs against Mammoth forward Jack McBain.
Then the Captain Brayden Schenn went after Mammoth forward Brandon Tanev. Schenn was sticking up for Jimmy Snuggerud, who got blindsided with a questionable headshot against the glass. Both guys did the rope-a-dope for a bit, but the tensions were rising high in this game.
Both teams are within earshot of one another in the standings and, more importantly, the wildcard race. With one more meeting between these two coming in the Blues' season finale on April 16, it could have some playoff implications.
What a bloodbath that could be.